Adjustable cultivating implement



Feb. 27, 1940. o. HOFFMAN ADJUSTABLE CULTIVA'IING" IMPLEMENT Filed June6, 193a Inventor Otto Hoffman By 7;,

A ttorn eys Patented Feb. 21, 1940 Otto Hofiman,

WashingtonfCounty, reg. v 3

Application w 1938; serial 212 4;

4 Claims. (01. 97-59) This application is a continuation in part of myapplication f led July 2'7, l 937, Serial No.

Experience in gardening teaches that it is not practical to use one ortwo implements for doing all the required cultivation of the ground.

In short, different tools, especially adapted for doing different phasesor stages of gardening work are best. On the other hand, it is unhandyto be obliged to have onhand, a number of special implements. In my.opinion, to have a single implement by which all light gardening workcan be done, such implement being adapted for use in'the differentstages of work by providing the implement with a series of particulartool attachments, or working parts, which maybe interchangeablysubstituted one for the other.

The object of my invention is to provide a a tivating implement by whichinterchangeable i working tools may be used; the interchangeable tools,or working parts, being adapted to perform all work required for theinitial breaking up of the soil, then pulverizing it and maintain-' ingthe soil loose and pulverized and free from;

Weeds. 1A further purpose of my invention is to make the working 'partswhich may be inter changeably used on my implement adjustableas 'totheir operating width. In other words, ad-

justable relatively to the width of thestripof ground between the rowsof vegetation.

A further purpose of my invention is to facilitate the work done by myimplement by enabling the operator to control the depth of penetrationinto the ground of the. working part used on my implement; such controlbeing applied by the mere direction--forward or backward-in which myimplement is moved over the ground, and the lowering and raising of thehandlebars of the implement by the operator.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide an implement which islight of weight, therefore easy to handle, and besides relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, so that my implement is available to alldoing gardening'on a relatively small scale. v

The above described and other incidental features and details of myimplement are fully brought out in erence to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing? Fig. 1 shows a perspective elevation ofmy implementcarrying it is desirable The frame members a are the descriptionof theconstruc-- tion anduse thereof hereinafter given, with ref- I I e theworking'part or attach-: [ment for performing the initial gardeningworkbreaking up and pulverizing loamy, or more or less heavy soil;

"FigsJZ and 3 show: each in longitudinal section the lower part of ,myimplement carrying the same tool'or working attachment as shown 5 byFig. 1; FigIZ illus'tratingthe effect of, and work done" on the soil by:pushingmy'imple'ment forwardi'and Fig. 3 the work donewhen pulling myimplement backward;

Fig. 4 shows inperspective a detail of the slotted cross-bar rockablycarried by the frame of my implement, to-which cross-bar theinterchangeable particular working tools or parts are attached; and

Fig. 5 shows a rockablecross-bar hereinafter fully described.

My implement comprises, as shown in Fig. 1, a frame consisting of spacedside members a. having attached thereto wooden handle barsb connectedbya rigid go cross-bar c and the handle bars by a rigid crossbar bf. lnthe frame members a is rockably mounted a I working-tool carryingcross-bar d. The forward ends of the frame members a are broughttogetheras 'at a and between them is journaled a ground wheel 10 which may be ofany convenient manufacture; but the ground wheel, for *cheapne'ss'ofdesign, may be con structed as hereinafter described. The rotatablecross-bar d illustrated in may be bent up, and these ends are providedwith holes d2 for the trunnion pins 7. The crossbar d is provided with aseries of longitudinal slots dB, and to this crossbar d is fixed theworking tool or attachment to be used. The working tool attachment shownby Fig. l is adapted to perform the initial breaking up and subsequentpulverizing of the soil. This tool consists of two identical companionparts re- 40 movably and adjustably affixed to the cross-bar d,;asillustrated by Figs. 1 and 4. Each part of' the tool'preferably consistsof a shank g having a' bent and slotted upper end 9', and a bent lowerend or blade g2 provided. with a series of teeth, 93 and 94, on bothsides. The edges 6 of the shank g and the points of the teeth 93 and g4should be beveled to a cutting edge; and likewise the edges i betwe'enthe teeth arextobe beveled to a cutting edge. 5o In attaching a workingtool tov the rockable cross-bar d, I preferably used a clamp I (see Fig.4) .to which are preferably welded the heads of bolts m inserted thruthe slots d3 of the crossbar okrandthru the-forkedv upper lateral por-5e,

detail of construction of said detail by Fig. 4, 30 1 consists of ametal piece, the-ends d of which assumes enables it to do better tions9' of the tool g; nuts m being threaded'on the said bolts m to clamp thetool in place. The tool-carrying cross-bar d is rockably supported inthe frame members a. by the trunnion pins 1 inserted thru the bent endsd of the cross-bar, and said frame members a; the trunnion pins 1 beingsecured in place by cotter keys n. The tool-carrying bar 01 is free torock 20 degrees, approximately, relative to frame in either direction.The angular positions ofv the bar 01 are indicated by g5 and 96 in Fig.5 and are assumed in response to the implement being pushed forward orpulled back by the operator. This limitation of rocking is efifected bythe ends of the tool-carrying bar d coming into contact with the framemembers a. I a

Describing now the operation of the working parts of my implement: Theteeth:g on the front side of the blade portion g of the tool 9 should bebent downward about 15 degrees from the plane of the blade The purposeof this construction is to cause the front teeth 9 to dig into the soiland break it u and pulverize the ground and cut the weeds in the forwardmovement of my implement. The first breaking up of the ground should beaccomplished by causing the front teeth 9 to penetrate about. one inchdeep into the soil, which is effective'to break up the surface, cut theweeds and also perform initial pulverizing of the soil without causingthe blade portion of this tool to enter the ground to such depth as tomake the-work hard. The operating width, of the strip of soil of thework done by the tool g is adjustable relatively to the strip of groundto be cultivated, by moving the companion parts of this tool a togetherand apart as required. I prefer to make the setting of the parts of thistool about one inch apart for the initial work. These tool parts may bemade with teeth h where a wide strip of ground is to be worked, Theoperator can control the depth to which the forwardly projecting teeth genter the ground by raising and lowering the handle bars;

thus regulating the pressure applied to the teeth 9' in similar manneras one would use a hoe with more or less force upon the ground;

In the forward movement of my implement, the weight of the wheel 211also helps to cause the teeth of blade g? to dig into the ground. The

operation of my implement, when carrying a tool attachment as g, isillustrated by Fig. 2. When the operator draws the implement backtowards him, he must push down on the handle bars, and in so doing moreor less raise the wheel 20 off the ground, as illustrated by Fig. 3. Theoperator in drawing the implement towards him further breaks up and downthe weeds. The forward and backward movement of my implement is repeateduntil the soil has been worked to the desired degree of fineness.

In the movement of my implement forward and backward over the ground,the bar 03 and the tool carried thereby is rocked in a directionopposite to that in which the implement is moved, as mentioned; suchrocking being limited to an arc of 20 degrees, approximately, from aline normal to the frame members a, by the ends of the tool-carrying bard coming in contact with the frame members a. The angle which the toolso work. When using a tool as g, the forward and backward movement ofthe implement eifects a harrowing action and thus thorough pulverizingof the soil. The handle bars b ofmy implement are adback of wheel topulverizes the soil and cutsv 'ing bolts inserted justable, and may beraised or lowered asconvenient to the operator. For such purpose theholes r thru which bolts 3 are inserted may be in the form of slots. Thetransverse frame-bar 0 serves to keep dirt from adhering to the wheel.

By welding the heads of bolts m to the channelshaped clamps l the boltsare prevented from turning. I

The inclined positions assumed by the blades of my tool-attachmentg, inthe rocking of the tool-carrying bar a. in working with my implement,causes the cultivating elements g 9 g and 2' to cut the roots of theweeds, and rake the same out of the ground, while breaking and loos-',ening up and pulverizing the soil as mentioned.

The wheel 20' I find convenient to make of a circular band in which iswelded a single diametrically extending cross-bar w to which are weldedhubs w 20 is a grease-cup.

The details of 1y represent such as I found convenient; but I do notlimit myself thereto, exceptin such particulars as essential to theprinciple of operation of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a cultivating implement of the character described, thecombination of a frame having a rockable tool-carrying bar transverselypivoted therein, a two-piece tool removably attachable to said bar andadjustable thereon so that the pieces may be moved together and apartrelatively to the width of the strip of ground to be cultivated, meansfor attaching said tool to said bar, andmeans limiting the rocking .ofsaid tool-carrying bar to arcs of predetermined degrees.

2. A cultivating implement comprising a frame tool carried by theimplement with the ground, a tool-attachment removably carried by saidbar, such attachment consisting of two companion parts adjustablyailixed to said bar and movable together andapart thereon relatively tothe widthof the strip of ground to be cultivated, tool-carrying the toolcarried by the implement with theground, a working-tool attachment forsaidbar.

consisting of two companion parts; each comprising a shank havingupperand lower portions projecting laterally in the same direction,

the upper portion being slotted to receive fastenthru' such slots andthe slots construction above given mereof said tool-carrying bar, thelower portion con-- stituting a blade provided with cultivating ele vments substantially as described, means limiting bar to arcs ofv therocking of said tool-carrying predetermined degrees.

4. In a cultivating implementofthecharacter described, the combinationof a frame, a toolcarrying bar pivoted in and having limited arouatemovement in said frame, and a two-piece tool removably attachable tosaid bar and adjustable thereon, so that the component parts may bemoved together and apart relatively to the width of the strip of groundto be cultivated.

OTTO;

